Leadership

Tim Keller – Q&A on Preaching

I recently came across this very insightful interview with Tim Keller on preaching.  Over the past two years, it is the most read post over at Unashamed Workman.  Check out the short interview here.   Note this very helpful advice for pastors, that Keller added as a comment to the original post: “My, you work …

Read more

Prophetic Love: Part of the Pastor’s Calling

John Piper recently wrote about the importance of having a prophetic love for our people.  Oh, that we would be found faithful in loving our people, by speaking the truth to them about sin!  Below is his original post in it’s entirety.  The Pain of Prophetic Love October 27, 2008  |  By: John Piper  Category: Commentary  Prophetic …

Read more

Doctrinally Rich Evangelism

Recently, I’ve read some debates revolving around doctrine and evangelism in the blogosphere (ie. JD Greear, Timmy Brister) and in scholarly journals (The Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry).  The unfortunate issue in debates on doctrine and evangelism is that most seem to focus either on preaching (and teaching) strong doctrine or on being evangelistic.  The fact of of the matter …

Read more

Desiring God Videos

The Desiring God Confernece 2008 Videos have been posted online.  I’ve not seen much yet, but you can rest assured that these are valuable for your ministry.

“Advice to a Son in the Ministry” By Basil Manly, Jr.

null

As I look back upon it [his life] it seems to me a great catalogue of short-comings. Much that I had planned, I have never attempted-much that I attempted has only partially succeeded. With dying Grotius, I feel much like exclaiming-“Eheu, vitam perdidi laborious, nihil agenda” (I have spent my life laboriously doing nothing). As far as I can, I would like to guard you against my mistakes.

One of my besetting sins has been procrastination. This has not been purely a result of indolence, but often of indecision, and like many other faults, it has connected itself with a virtue, or at least assumed its semblance, i.e., the prudence which does nothing rashly, and decides nothing before time. Hence, often while hesitating, new information has come to me, which turned the scale of decision, and without which I might have decided wrongly. But on the other hand, sometimes while hesitating the golden moment for action has passed, and I have found myself like the dilatory rustic, who is just too late for the train, gazing at the departing opportunity, open mouthed and astonished.-I have decided to fix for myself the rule always to do the day’s work in a day; and when my work is of a sort that it can be measured off, and ascertained to be done, I can observe the rule pretty well. But much of my work is of a sort which knows no limit or completion. . . . The right apportionment of time, when either one of half dozen things that claim one’s attention is sufficient to absorb it all-is often a problem of no small difficulty.

Read more

John Piper Interview

Few men alive today have had and are having as much of an influence on God’s church as John Piper. The Resurgence has posted an interview with Mark Driscoll and John Piper.  The interview is long, but you can download it to your ipod and listen to it in the car.  If you have ever …

Read more

Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal

On the backend of the conservative resurgence, many in the  Southern Baptist Convention seem to be experiencing an identity crisis.  With the Battle for the Bible seemingly won, how should we as Southern Baptists be defined?

David Dockery seeks to answer that question with Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal.  The subtitle, A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Proposal adequately sums up Dockery’s efforts in writing this well-researched and immediately applicable book.  Dockery blames much of the controversy in the twentieth century on a lack of theological emphasis in Southern Baptist churches, universities, and seminaries.  In his own words,

Moreover, when the controversies surrounding the Bible broke out during that time, most Southern Baptists were horrified to learn that some professors in our seminaries and colelges did not believe in the full truthfulness of the Bible.  Our pragmatic and programmatic identity left us ill-equipped to respond to these theological challenges concerning Scripture.

Read more

Pastors Leaving?

I try to do more here than just post links to other blogs, but the issue of pastors leaving the ministry is a huge concern for me and should be for all Christians.  Of course, there is enough blame to go around, churches blame pastors for wanting to leave, pastors point to problem people.  Regardless …

Read more

Why Churches Die

Ergun Caner and Mac Brunson have written a book that is both entertaing, encouraging, and informative.  In Why Churches Die: Diagnosing Letal Poisons In The Body of Christ, Brunson and Caner expose many of the leading causes of division within the church such as spiritual apathy, gossip, and bitterness.  In their own words, A truly infected gossip …

Read more